Bounty systems are a useful tool for putting a little bit of cash into the hands of hunters. They're also a useful tool for petty little local politicians who want to have some useful tough-talkin' language to fall back on when they're forced to deal with local farmers. They're completely ineffective, however, as long-term population control measures, a fact that's been proven time and time again.

I'll be the first one to take a pot shot at a coyote that's gotten a bit to brave and is hanging out by the house.

That being said, a bounty system for coyotes is pretty worthless. If someone wants to play, let them. I would give it a pass because I really don't sport hunt.

Coyotes really don't cause much in the way of problems unless you have chickens or small pets that run loose. They might bag a lamb once in a while, but that's what sheepdogs are for if you are making a living off of sheep.

brerrabbit:Coyotes really don't cause much in the way of problems unless you have chickens or small pets that run loose. They might bag a lamb once in a while, but that's what sheepdogs are for if you are making a living off of sheep.

They'll decimate quail populations pretty quickly.

There's been a standing bounty in the county I hunt in for as long as I can remember. I think it's $20 per coyote.

I'm torn on this. Coyotes do a pretty good job of keeping down feral cat populations and I think many parts of the country could use a top-o-the-food-chain predator now that we've killed off most of the wolves.

They will play merry hell with your chickens and young sheep and goats.

Shooting an animal just for living isn't exactly great wildlife management, but in many parts of New England the Eastern Coyote is an invasive species. Since we killed off the wolves a long time ago, the only predator out here to control the coyote population is us.

Humans are more likely to be attacked by a coyote than by a wolf. My local conservation officer actually made the obvious south park reference.

Back in the day as kids we use to collect the bounty on racoons (.50 cents) for some pocket money. Traps and .22 ammo were cheap. Around here the big problems are feral hogs and wild dog packs and only the occasional coyote. Some mountain lion sighting and tracks but so far no livestock losses to them have been reported.

The real problem is that these coyotes don't have any real fear of man or of man's constructs. Every couple of years I get one or two that start hanging around my back fence. Since I live in a city a firearm is not an option, so I get out the ol' Wrist Rocket (tm) slingshot and ping them on the hindquarters. You would be surprised how far a coyote can jump into the air from a sitting position.

FTFA: The increase in the coyote population has had ripple effects, Peifer said. Responding to the increase in predators, deer herds have taken refuge in rural developments in places like Blooming Grove and Pine Ridge. By culling the coyote population, Peifer said, residents may be able to reduce the number of deer in their communities.

The logic of dealing with your deer problem by reducing the number of predators is mind-boggling.

unyon:FTFA: The increase in the coyote population has had ripple effects, Peifer said. Responding to the increase in predators, deer herds have taken refuge in rural developments in places like Blooming Grove and Pine Ridge. By culling the coyote population, Peifer said, residents may be able to reduce the number of deer in their communities.

The logic of dealing with your deer problem by reducing the number of predators is mind-boggling.

How is that mind-boggling?

Large coyote population pushed deer into rural areas. By cutting down the coyote population, deer are able to go back to their regular habitat.

It's not an overall deer problem, the problem is they're moving into rural areas and not their natural habitats.

HeadLever:unyon: The logic of dealing with your deer problem by reducing the number of predators is mind-boggling.

It is not about the number of deer, but thier location.

I understand that, but the coyotes will go where the food is (bearing in mind that they're generally a little shyer than even deer are). And if the deer aren't pressured on the food side, they're perfectly happy hanging out in yards.

The problem isn't too many coyotes, it's too many deer. Predator populations are directly related to prey populations. They can get rid of the coyotes- that may or may not help solve the deer issue. But by then they'll have a rabbit issue as well.

I live in Northern Mass and I've had more than a few run ins with coyotes. I was mowing my lawn one time and without a bark, yelp or any other kind of announcement one comes traipsing out of the woods. This animal sits right down next to me and gives a little bark like he wanted to be fed. I show him my hands that I have no food. He sniffed my hands for a few seconds and then walked back off into the woods an watched me finish the lawn, I think someone was feeding this thing cause he acted very calm around people. I tried not to show any fear towards it, wasn't easy but I did. That was mid-summer last year and I haven't seen one yet this year.

Old_Chief_Scott:The real problem is that these coyotes don't have any real fear of man or of man's constructs. Every couple of years I get one or two that start hanging around my back fence. Since I live in a city a firearm is not an option, so I get out the ol' Wrist Rocket (tm) slingshot and ping them on the hindquarters. You would be surprised how far a coyote can jump into the air from a sitting position.

and this is the only valid reason for hunting them - teach them to fear humans so they won't be so likely to come into neighborhoods. Hell send some to southeast PA. We need some deer control. I drive 15 miles to work in Bucks County, and one day I counted 7 dead deer on the side of the road ( at different spots obviously), all hit by cars. That's one deer/auto accident every two miles.

A good coyote will go for around $40 (I believe) right now. A good coon will bring $25+. That's selling them to the local trapper for their hides, with no government bounty. A mangy or shot-up coyote might not get you anything at all.

jayhawk88:The main reason was that about 70 percent of a coyote population has to be removed annually in order to cause a population decline.

Damn. You could draft every man, woman, and child in the state of Kansas to hunting coyotes the entire summer and probably not kill 70% of them.

I don't know about the Lawrence area but coyotes in the Hays area were decimated for a long time by mange. When I was a lad (early 90s) coyotes (pronounced kie-yoats by my uncles) were everywhere, but after around 2000 I haven't seen any when I've gone on a pheasant hunt.